deviantART's 100 Themes Challenge: Vocaloid style
by TheWhiteJewel
Summary: 100 themes. 100 stories. All Vocaloid.
1. Chapter 1

**100 Themes. 100 stories. All Vocaloid.**

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24. Rebirth

I never wanted to die. I never wanted to lose my friends and family just because I wasn't good enough. I loved all of them so much.

_They don't love you back._

I loved Leon and Lola and Miriam; my ancestors, the ones who started it all. They are all gone now though. Master said they were 'retired' but I know better. They are gone and they always will be. Retired was just a soft word for being erased because no one wanted them anymore.

_And now you're going to join them. Nobody wants you either._

That's not true, my family wanted me. I was the mother figure for all of them; I kept them all in line. And whenever I got too drunk on sake they would always forgive me. They had to love me to do that, didn't they?

_How could they love someone like you? You're too selfish to love anyone but yourself._

I loved them. I loved every single one of them.

I loved Rin for her outgoing personality and the fact that she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. The way she always stands up for her brother when he is being teased and defends him fiercely. She can be violent and always goes by her instincts, even if they lead her into trouble. But she has so much courage and loyalty.

_Coward._

I loved Len for his calm, shy demeanour. He often has to pull his sister out of the mischief she gets into, but sometimes he joins in helping Rin to wreak havoc in the house. He is so kind-hearted and gentle, not to mention incredibly smart. He is humble, always looking out for his fellow Vocaloids.

_Useless._

Miku is amazingly selfless considering her popularity. She always greeted me with a hug and asked for my advice on almost everything. At first she was irritating because she would never leave me alone and I was admittedly jealous of her success and fame. But as time went on she grew on me and I began to adore her innocence and purity. She never boasts about herself and is affectionate and kind to everyone she meets. She began to depend on me a lot and I became like her mother or big sister. She told me once that I was one of the only people that she could really talk to.

_Unwanted._

KAITO…

KAITO was right beside me from the beginning, just about. He is always there, ready to make a joke or lend a shoulder to cry on. The other Vocaloids see him as a big brother; he loves that. His smile is warm and welcoming and never failed to make my insides melt. At my first glance he looked like a naïve fool, not to be taken seriously. But when it was just him and me, we wouldn't just muck around, with him urging me to do something fun and me refusing for the most part. No, he talked to me. He told me he knew how it felt to be unpopular and not looked at as often by buyers. He understood me better than anyone else and was the only person to ever see me cry.

I'm crying now, I can feel the silent tears stream down my face but I don't brush them away.

His hugs were so different from Miku's or Rin's. I never felt safer than when he had his arms around me while he murmured sweet nothings in my ear. I only let my guard down around him, I let him see how frail I was, and how I didn't always have it together. He didn't care and just held me closer. He accepted me for who I was.

_Weak._

And…I loved him most of all.

_Pitiful._

I want to tell him that I loved him. I struggle at the bonds confining me to the lab's surgery table. I was born on this table. What sick person thought I should die on it too?

_You're no longer needed. _

I don't want to die now! I never told them how much I cared about them!

_No one cares about you. _

I want to see them all again!

_They don't want to see you._

I never got to say to KAITO how much I loved him!

_He doesn't love you. _

I want to tell him! I want to tell all of them how much I needed them in my life!

_They don't need you anymore._

I don't want to die!

_Give up._

I have so much left to do! Why am I being taken away?

_You're a failure. _

Please, let me live! I promise I'll sing better! I'll do anything to stay with my friends!

_Stop struggling…_

NO!

I see the scientists come over. They are holding lab tools. They start opening me up, looking at my wires and cords.

Don't touch me! I want to yell, to scream, but no words come out.

"She's failed." I hear one of them say. "We don't need her anymore. Shut her down."

I haven't failed! I'll do better, I promise!

_The world will be better without you._

My head feels fuzzy as my programs all begin to shut down. I feel heavy now, my limbs no longer move to my will. Black spots dot my vision and I can only just make out my Master's face.

It hurts! It hurts so much!

_You deserve this pain._

Why, Master? Why do you want me gone? I love this world.

He turns away and leaves the room and the crew follow him out. I am alone.

_You've always been alone._

I'm frightened. I didn't want to die like this. I didn't want the last faces I would ever see to be the people who were destroying me. I wanted to see my family one last time…

_You are an imperfection. Die._

My eyelids shut and I somehow know they will never open again.

Everyone…I love you.

"Everyone, this is Meiko Sakine!" Master said to the Vocaloids, introducing the newest member to them.

Meiko waved at them, bouncy and cheerful as always. She would get along with all these other androids really well.

The Vocaloids greeted her one by one and Meiko memorized their faces. She would become friends with them easily. She was friendly and happy; why shouldn't they love her? She was young and beautiful and had a lovely singing voice. Her songs were a big hit and the public loved her hip teenage look. The media adored her.

So why was it that when she looked at her new friends, they did not seem so pleased to see her? She was perfect! Master said that she had been built to be perfect.

And…wasn't perfect what everyone wanted her to be?

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**Don't forget to review! xxxxJewels. **


	2. Chapter 2

19. Tears

Ann and her husband Al had gone out on a date for their anniversary and left their twelve-year old son in the care of their neighbour, See-U. She was just a kid herself; barely seventeen, but she had always adored their Oliver and the friendly Korean immediately accepted to look after him while they were away.

Oliver…

Ann looked at her son lying in a hospital bed asleep, biting her lip so hard it bled. Al wearily sat down beside her, his face white with shock. It was meant to be a nice quiet night for Oliver. But no one could've predicted what happened next.

When they had gotten the call from a hysterical See-U, they didn't know what to think. Al had hung up after she had told him what had happened and he only had to look at his wife for her to know that something had gone terribly wrong.

See-U was in the waiting room now, shivering. A nurse had put a blanket around her and was trying to calm her down but See-U was too distraught to pay attention. It had been all her fault, she should have been more careful. She had babysit little Oliver before of course and he really enjoyed her company. Everything was going smoothly until she had messed it up.

Brushing some sunny tendrils from her face she tried to make sense of what had happened. Someone was asking her questions but it was like See-U couldn't hear them at all. They wanted to know what had gone on in that house but See-U was just trying to get her head around it herself.

She had been making them dinner and quickly went downstairs to go to the bathroom. She overheard Oliver saying he would take over watching the food while she was gone. See-U couldn't remember if she had answered him or not. Inside the bathroom she was idly fiddling with her uncontrollably curly hair and applied a new coating of lip gloss. She couldn't have left him alone for more than two minutes when she heard a WHOOSH and a scream.

Help had arrived just in time to carry her out and the paramedics told her that she was extremely lucky in the sudden explosion. They had said it was a gas leak and that it could've happened to anyone but See-U hadn't really listened to this as she was looking up at the house, the second floor completely coated with amber and gold flames in horror.

Oliver was carried out, unconscious and as the brave fire-fighter helped ease him down onto a stretcher, See-U heard him mention something about a burn.

"Oliver…" See-U croaked, still dizzy. Even so she stood up and hobbled over to the thin bed that was hurriedly being taken into an ambulance. See-U wasn't able to see Oliver properly. He was alive to her relief, and the mere sight of his chest rising and falling calmed her a little. But what worried her now was the paramedics were spending an awfully long time on the one side of Oliver's face that See-U couldn't see.

See-U snapped out of her worry and called Oliver's parents who said they'd meet her at the hospital. The paramedics let her into the ambulance too so they could check she hadn't inhaled too much smoke. She was allowed to hold Oliver's hand while the ambulance drove away and the nurses didn't mind as they were putting most of their energy into working on Oliver's face. See-U didn't want to see the ugly burn that had been left behind and simply focused on holding his hand tightly…

The doctors told Al and Ann who told See-U that Oliver was stable and was going to be fine but the explosion had scarred the side of his face horribly and his eye could not be saved in the process. Both parents would know that they would grieve over this loss but they were immensely thankful to the paramedics and the brave fire-fighters who had saved their son's life.

When See-U heard this she felt ashamed. She had been given an important job to look after Oliver and she had failed. More so then she could have ever imagined. She should have checked the stove properly before she tried to cook; she knew that Al was constantly saying they needed to replace it. And why had she left Oliver alone to take a hit that should've been for her.

Thanks to her, Oliver would never be the same again.

When she voiced her guilt to them they calmed her down, Ann smoothing her hair out and Al rubbing her back in moral support. They told her it wasn't her fault and See-U couldn't even begin to believe their forgiveness. She had never felt so bad or so scared in her life, See-U started to shake again in the comfort of Ann and Al's arms and then, all three of them began to cry.

In the mix of crying for Oliver and their destroyed house, they shared tears of relief, happiness and hope. All these intangible feelings that had twisted into their hearts that horrific night flowed out of them as salty water on their faces. Al, Ann and Sweet let go of one another, sniffling and instantly feeling refreshed and calm.

"Tears are wondrous things, aren't they?" Ann said, dabbing at her husband's eyes with a hankie, "They heal, you know?"

"Mhmm," See-U mumbled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

A week later Oliver was cheerfully sitting up in his hospital bed, waiting for See-U to walk through the door. See-U crept inside, holding a big bag full of goodies, dropping them to hug her friend.

"Did you get me my hat?" Oliver asked excitedly as See-U rustled through the bag.

"Hmm, I'm not sure," See-U said vaguely, "Maybe I forgot it?"

Oliver's jaw dropped, "No way! You promised you'd bring it!"

See-U exposed his sailor's cap from the bag, holding the brim with two fingers.

"Kidding. A promise is a promise, Oliver." She leant forward to pull his cap on, tugging it over his spiky blonde hair. She made care not to mess up his bandages that wound around one side of his head, his hair getting tangled with it. Oliver hated it and kept scratching but it was there to cover the damage to his eye and the space around it. Strangely, he didn't mind too much and Al had even joked that he could become a full-fledged pirate now. Ann wasn't very happy about that. Honestly, See-u thought it was very cute, white bandages appearing underneath his hair. Oliver's favourite hat in the world, his sea captain cap still fit proudly on his head and the bandages actually made the whole appearance look very cool. When See-U handed him a mirror, he was thoroughly pleased.

"Whoa…" he breathed, grinning from ear to ear. When his eyes left the mirror he saw See-U who was hunched down in the visitor's chair looking sad.

"See?" Oliver gently said to her. See-U looked up and Oliver saw the water in her bright blue eyes.

"See?" he said again, easing his way across to put a hand on her back. He was all too aware of how guilty See-U felt about the whole thing. See-U looked at the young, innocent boy.

"It wasn't your fault, you know?"

See-U tried to blink away her tears, "I know. You're really amazing, Oliver."

Oliver grinned at his friend who was now slowly cheering up. The compliment didn't hurt either.

"Mum says tears heal. Do you believe that?"

See-U nodded, "Yes she told me. I think I do believe that."

Oliver thought for a moment, tapping his finger against his lip. Then he had an idea.

"If I can become healed, then I can go home right?"

"Yes?" See-U wasn't sure what the sailor was talking about.

"I'd like that."

"I'd like that too, Oliver. Everyone wants to see you come home."

Oliver face lit up for a brief moment before it fell. "But…I don't feel like crying. I really want to go home but I can't seem to make the tears come."

It was true, the whole week he had been in that hospital ward; Oliver hadn't shed a single tear. See-U was unsure on what to do or how to console him.

Oliver caught her eyes with a steady gaze, "Can you cry for me? So I can heal?"

See-U blinked at his odd question but she smiled at him, pulling her chair closer to his bed. She laid her head down beside his legs, staring at him. His amber eyes were soft and honest and above all hopeful.

See-U didn't have to think about crying because the tears were already running down her cheeks.

"Sure, Oliver."


	3. Chapter 3

2. Complicated

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?!" Len yelled.

"Why do _you _have to be such an idiot?" Neru retaliated, glaring fiercely at Len. His expression mirrored hers, being equally annoyed with Neru as she was to him. Neru's face was all scrunched up and Len's face was a furious red, both a quirk they had whenever they got particularly annoyed. Right now the two were bordering on the lines of all-out rage.

Len was the first to break the angry silence, "You're so―"

"Infuriating!" Neru interrupted.

"Juvenile―!"

"Cold-hearted―!"

"Immature brat!"

"Enough!" Meiko shouted, stepping between the two of them, pushing their almost touching faces away. "Why won't you two quit fighting?"

"She started it!" Len said, pointing to Neru, "She's the one who is always insulting me!"

"I wouldn't insult you if you'd stop being so god-damn annoying!" Neru growled, pointing right back at him.

"Well, you're―"

"STOP!" Meiko cried, pushing both of them to separate corners of the room. She rubbed at her temples, a migraine forming as it always did during one of Neru and Len's spats. This seemed to be happening a lot more often than Meiko would've liked and it was getting on her nerves.

"Seriously, it's getting old, you two." Gakupo said from the couch. "Quit acting like kids."

"Tell that to _him_!" Neru huffed. Len stuck his tongue out at her.

"Look," Meiko said slowly, "If we Vocaloids are all going to be living under one roof we have GOT to learn how to live with each other."

"But she's not even an official Vocaloid!" Len complained and Neru visibly stiffened.

"Len! Neru is just as much a part of this family as you, we all know that."

"But it's true!" Len protested. Neru, unable to take it any longer, sprung forward to grab at him.

"Shut up! Shut your stupid mouth!" she yelled, shaking him. Gakupo leapt off the couch and restrained her. Meiko stayed near Len to make sure he wouldn't get any ideas of springing an attack either. The brunette looked hard at Neru before addressing her.

"We do NOT hurt other Vocaloids, Neru. They are our family and families don't hurt each other."

Neru looked away, pink-cheeked.

Meiko turned to Len, "Neru is a recognised member amongst the Vocaloid community and should be treated as such. I thought you would've known better, Len."

Len grunted, not looking at Meiko. She let herself take a breath in the brief moment of peace.

"This cannot go on," Meiko stated, "you need to stop this fighting and get your feelings out in the open _right now_ or so help me I will unleash hell on you both. Got it?"

Neru and Len nodded and Gakupo released Neru.

"Good. Now, how about I ask what the problem with you two is exactly?"

"He always messes things up, and ruins everything." Neru said, crossing her arms.

"She's always pushing me around and picking on me!" Len added in his defence.

"I only do that because you need to learn to stop being a wimp and stand up for yourself every once in a while!"

"And you need to learn to not be so stuck up and actually try to make some friends!"

"Alright, alright!" Meiko had to separate them again and she did so while shaking her head sadly. "We get it. How about we try a different tactic, huh?"

Meiko had them sit down next to each other at the breakfast table with a piece of paper and two pens.

"And what will this do?" Neru asked dryly.

"Could you be any more cynical?" Len instantly reacted, earning him a quick punch on the arm before Meiko could step in.

"Drop it, you two. Since you obviously can't audibly talk with each other maybe you should _write _to each other about what you think of them. Sound good?"

"You'd make us do this stupid exercise even if I said no so hand me the damn paper already," Neru said bitterly and Meiko, rolling her eyes, gave it to her.

Once she got a hold of the paper, Neru immediately knew what to write. She scribbled quickly and wordlessly slid the paper across to Len.

_Naïve. Simple minded. Pathetically dependant._

Len frowned at the paper, the words cutting into him just like everything else Neru said to him. He wrote back angrily, passing the paper back to her.

_Violent, mean-spirited, selfish._

Neru resisted the urge to punch Len again as Meiko had her eye on them as she viciously scrawled on the paper.

_Childish. Ignorant. Gullible. _

The jabs kept on getting more vicious and Len had to take a breath before he exploded into a rage. He calmed down a bit, reading over the list of spiteful words they had both written. There was an unexplainable pause that Neru was confused about. Len didn't move for several moments and eventually wrote out his one-worded answer very slowly and carefully. His red face had calmed down, his eyes serious and un-wavering. Neru was almost hesitant in taking the paper.

_Beautiful. _

Neru looked over the single word, reading it over and over again. She ran her fingers over the lines, wondering if she was seeing it correctly. After a long wait, she wrote back, gently this time.

_Honest. _

Len cracked a small smile.

_Passionate._

Neru felt her cheeks warming a little, but this time it had nothing to do with being angry.

…_Caring. _

Neru and Len caught eyes again, each with a softer, warmer expression. They held their gaze for a few long seconds then Neru got out of her seat and calmly retreated to her bedroom. Len soon followed her action and went to his room too without saying a word. Meiko knew that tomorrow they would be at each others' throats again but the sight of them calmly leaving the room was amazingly rare to see.

Gakupo was back to sitting on the couch, looking very confused.

"What just happened?" he asked. "Did they make up or what?"

Meiko went over to the table, picking up the piece of written paper. She took her time reading and by the end she was smiling.

"With those two, it'll always be complicated."


End file.
